The Bridges Of Hampton Roads: Safe Crossings

Vdot Says 19 Poorly Rated Spans 'Nothing To Worry About'

Nineteen local bridges are in "poor" or "serious" structural condition, including the heavily used westbound Mercury Boulevard overpass on Interstate 64, according to state inspection records.

But the Virginia Department of Transportation says there's nothing to worry about, as long as the bridges are inspected regularly and repaired within the next several years.

Replacement or repair work is scheduled on 16 of the 19 bridges, including the Mercury Boulevard overpass.

Most local bridges are doing just fine, VDOT inspectors say.

Out of 356 local bridges, about 95 percent are in fair condition or better, including the Coleman and James River bridges and the two bridge- tunnels.

The Daily Press studied inspection reports and bridges in an area from Middlesex County south to Isle of Wight, including the Peninsula.

Bridges in poor or serious condition are scattered across three cities and seven counties. They're in urban neighborhoods, like the Pembroke Avenue Bridge over the Hampton River, and in rural areas, like the Rescue Road Bridge in Isle of Wight.

VDOT inspectors say just because a bridge is rated in "serious" condition, that does not mean the structure is about to fall down.

"You're trying to associate 'serious' with safety," said John Coleman, VDOT's top bridge official. "That may not be the case."

VDOT uses a 10-point rating scale that ranges from zero to nine, with a zero meaning beyond hope for repair and nine meaning virtual perfection. No local bridges rate below a three, according to VDOT.

Ratings are subjective and vary among inspectors with different judging standards, but VDOT officials say the discrepancies are minor.

Nineteen bridges have ratings of three or four, which means they are in "serious" or "poor" condition, VDOT records show.

Inspectors give a "serious" rating to bridges that need to be repaired sometime in the next several years. For bridges in "serious" condition, inspections are usually increased from once every two years to once a year.

"Poor" bridges can last for years as long as weight restrictions are posted to prohibit heavy trucks and buses, said Jack Meredith, chief VDOT bridge inspector in Hampton Roads.

Many low-scoring bridges are being replaced or repaired this summer. VDOT plans to repair nearly all problem bridges in the next two years.

In Newport News, new versions of the 39th Street Bridge downtown and the Lucas Creek Bridge in Denbigh will open this month. In Hampton, the Pembroke Avenue Bridge will be replaced in the coming year.

But two of the 19 low-scoring bridges have no repair work scheduled in the next several years.

The Warwick Boulevard bridge over Lake Maury in Newport News received a "poor condition" rating because patches of concrete have eroded beneath the bridge. The city doesn't plan to rebuild the bridge until 2009.

That's not too long to wait, Meredith said.

Although some of the concrete on the underside of the bridge has deteriorated and exposed the enforcement steel underneath, the bridge is still "tough as nails," he said.

"You could still drive a tank over it," said Meredith.

Newport News senior engineer Tan Young said the city inspects the Lake Maury Bridge annually instead of the typical biannual checkup.

Farther west, local road officials have asked VDOT to repair within six years the Merrimac Trail bridge over Queens Creek in York County, which is also in poor condition. VDOT officials will decide this fall whether to schedule repairs.

The Lake Maury and Queens Creek bridges are all more than 50 years old. But old age doesn't always indicate poor health.

The oldest bridge in active use in Hampton Roads, built in 1899, is still in "satisfactory" condition with no weight limits, according to VDOT records.

Few people would notice. What drivers think is a small hill on Huntington Avenue near 39th Street in downtown Newport News is actually a 102-year- old bridge over railroad tracks.

Meredith's short-term goal is to have no bridges posted with weight limits in Hampton Roads. Currently, 128 bridges have weight limits. Some are small bridges that weren't designed for heavy loads.

Meredith's long-term goal is to have all bridges in satisfactory condition or better -- a rating of six or higher.